400.1.1[R]
APPENDIX F
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
NOTIFICATION OF INTENT TO PLAN A NEW DISTANCE EDUCATION DEGREE PROGRAM
THE PURPOSE OF ACADEMIC PROGRAM PLANNING: Planning a distance education degree
program provides an opportunity for an institution to make the case for need and demand and for its
ability to offer a quality program. This notification, and the planning activity to follow, do not guarantee
that authorization to establish will be granted.
Date: __September 24, 2007______
Constituent Institution: _North Carolina State University___________________________________
CIP Discipline Specialty Title: __Home Economics_______________________________________
CIP Discipline Specialty Number: __19.0701 ___ Level: B _____ M __x___ I ______ D ______
Exact Title of the Proposed Program: __ Masters of Science in Human Development & Family
Studies with a concentration in Family Life & Parent Education _______
Degree Abbreviation: _MS________ Proposed Date of Initiation: month __01______ year __2008_____
Will this program be completely individual access (e.g., Internet, videocassette)? Y ______ N__ X ____
If "yes," primary mode of delivery: Elluminate, Vista-WebCT, BlackBoard, Teleconferencing_
If "no," list proposed sites (use additional lines as needed):
Greensboro
Raleigh
(state)
If cohort-based, length of time to complete the sequence (e.g., 18 mos., 2 years): ___________________
SACS/COC substantive change questions (1=Procedure One; 2=Procedure Two)
Site-based (where instructor is present):
Is the institution initiating instruction where student may earn more than 25% and less 50% of
credits toward a degree at a site 30 miles or from the campus? (2)
Yes _____ No X _
Is the institution initiating an (additional) off-campus site at which students may earn at least 50% of an
educational program? (1)
Yes _____ No X _
Is the institution adding significantly different degree programs at a currently approved site? (2)
Yes _____ No _ X _
Distance learning (where instructor and student are geographically separated):
Is the institution offering its first credit courses via technology-based instruction by which students can
obtain at least 25% of credits toward a degree program? (2)
Yes _____ No _x__
Is the institution expanding a previously reported program from less than 50% of credits to 50% or more
of a degree program? (2)
Yes _x__ No _____
Is the institution adding a significantly different program from previously reported programs offered via
technology-based instruction? (2)
Yes _____ No _x___
If this action constitutes a substantive change, by what date should SACS be notified? _______________
1. Briefly describe the proposed program and intended audience.
The Master of Science is currently approved as a joint program between the
400.1.1[R]
Department of 4-H Youth Development and Family & Consumer Sciences at North
Carolina State University and the Department of Human Development & Family
Studies at University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The curriculum provides a
balance between theory and application for students seeking careers in family life
and parenting education. The curriculum draws upon the resources of both
departments and both universities.
Graduates of the program receive education in all areas of Family Life Education as
defined by the National Council on Family Relations - Families in Society, Internal
Dynamics of Families, Human Growth and Development over the Lifespan, Human
Sexuality, Interpersonal Relationships, Family Resource Management, Parent
Education and Guidance, Family Law and Policy, Ethics, and Family Life Education
Methodology.
Upon completion of this degree, students will have acquired skills and knowledge in
 Theoretical underpinnings that guide practice in the field of family life and
parenting education
 Practices that guide excellence in teaching, program development and
program evaluation
 A systematic approach to working with families in communities
 Critical network building skills and network associates that community
educators use in building successful and sustained community-based
programs for families
 Reading and applying research findings to the lives of families
Program objectives are:
 To produce competent educators in the field of family life and parent education
 To contribute to the literature regarding best practices in the fields of family life
and parent education
 To produce leaders in the field of family life and parenting education
 To produce competent communicators and teachers who disseminate high
quality outreach prevention and intervention programs
2. Describe the proposed instructional delivery systems (e.g., on-site instruction, interactive video,
Internet, etc., including combinations of these.
Course
FCS 522
FCS 510
FCS 512
FCS 595
FCS 523
FCS 524
FCS 531
FCS 540
Courses offered at UNCG
HDF 644, HDF 654, HDF 621
Delivery method
Vista Web CT, 3 face to face
Elluminate, WebCT, 2 face to face
Elluminate, WebCT, 2 face to face
Vita Web CT, Blackboard, 4 face to
face
Elluminate, WebCT, 4 face to face
Elluminate, WebCT, 4 face to face
WebCT, 4 face to face
WebCT, 4 face to face
Teleconference originating on UNCG
campus teleconferenced to NCSU
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campus
Describe need for the program (referencing results of surveys or special studies). If site-based, is any
other institution (public or private) offering a similar program in the location(s)? If individual access, is
any other UNC institution offering a similar individual access program?
As part of a pre-planning process, a marketing study was conducted (2003). One
thousand surveys were mailed to graduates of psychology, sociology and human
environmental sciences programs as well as professionals currently employed by
Smart Start and Cooperative Extension. A total of 301 were returned. Seventy-five
percent of the respondents said they would be interested in enrolling in a graduate
degree program that met their professional needs. Of these, 24% said they would
enroll in a Parenting Education program, and 29% said they would enroll in a Family
Life program. Parent-Child Relations was the most selected course of interest. The
most popular delivery methods selected were classes taught in late afternoon and
evening (70%), a series of one-credit courses (52%), class lecture on PowerPoint and
the internet (49%), DVD or CD Rom mailed to student (46%), and classes taught in 3week or 4-week intensive sessions (46%).
Parenting Education is a new and growing field. Only a few institutions in the country
offer related programs, none in the state of North Carolina except for UNC-G with
whom this program will be jointly administered.
Through inquiries, it was discovered that East Carolina University and Appalachian
State University both offer undergraduate and graduate programs in related but
dissimilar fields. Appalachian State’s program prepares clinicians as marriage and
family counselors requiring multiple supervised clinical hours and a board examination.
The program at East Carolina is also a clinically based program intended to prepare
graduates to become marriage and family therapists. These are different areas of
study. The proposed program is a non-thesis program with a concentration on practice
and application with a skill in translating research into practice to use educationally with
families.
3. Projected total annual enrollment:
Year 1 2006
4
Year 2 2007
7
Year 3 2008
10
Year 4 2009
15
Year 5 2010
20
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4. Name, title, telephone, and e-mail of contact person to respond to questions:
Contact Name: Karen DeBord
Contact Title - Professor & Director of Graduate Programs, Department of 4-H Youth
Development and Family & Consumer Sciences
Contact Email Address – Karen_debord@ncsu.edu
This intent to plan a new distance education degree program (or program site) has been reviewed and
approved by the appropriate campus committees and authorities.
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor: __________________________________________________
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NC State
SIGNATURE PAGE
RECOMMENDED BY:
__________________________________________________________________
Department Head/Director of Graduate Programs
Date
ENDORSED BY:
__________________________________________________________________
Chair, College Graduate Studies Committee
Date
__________________________________________________________________
College Dean(s)/Associate Dean(s)
Date
__________________________________________________________________
DELTA (If DE Program)
Date
APPROVED:
__________________________________________________________________
Dean of the Graduate School
Date
__________________________________________________________________
Provost
Date
__________________________________________________________________
Chancellor
Date